Deanna J. Attai, MD

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Deanna J. Attai, MD, discusses the future of surgery and targeted therapies in the treatment of breast cancer.

The Future of Surgery and Targeted Therapies

Deanna J. Attai, MD, assistant clinical professor, Department of Surgery, UCLA, discusses breast cancer survivor support and education on Twitter.

The majority of people that participate in #BCSM chats on Twitter are patients, though surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, caregivers, nurses, and genetic counselors participate too.

#BCSM chats can provide a learning experience for physicians and help them to better understand the thoughts and concerns of patients.

Back to the 2014 Breast Cancer Symposium conference page

Articles

Breast Cancer Survivor Support and Education on Twitter

Deanna J. Attai, MD, surgeon, president, Center For Breast Care, Burbank, CA, discusses the overdiagnosis of breast cancer.

The presentation at the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium was particularly good, Attai says, because it looked at breast cancer diagnosis from the perspective of a pathologist, radiologist, and surgeon.

Because breast cancer is a complicated disease, pathologists sometimes have a hard time determining between high-risk lesions and low-grade cancer, Attai says. Instead of just issuing a blanket statement that breast cancer is being overdiagnosed and overtreated, the oncology community needs to dig deeper into the definition and identification of the disease in order to individualize treatment.

Pathologists sometimes have difficulty determining between high-risk lesions and low-grade cancer

There is a need to dig deeper into the definition and identification of breast cancer

Deanna J. Attai, MD, surgeon, president, Center For Breast Care, Burbank, CA, discusses the overdiagnosis of breast cancer.


Overdiagnosis of Breast Cancer

Deanna J. Attai, MD, surgeon, president, Center For Breast Care, Burbank, CA, discusses patients' perception of breast cancer risk.

As there is a plethora of information about breast cancer awareness and early detection, Attai says, many women do not have a good sense of their true risk. A study presented at the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium showed that in over 9,000 women, 40-45% either underestimated or overestimated their risk by at least 10%.

If a patient is at high risk but believes that she is at lower risk, Attai says, she may be less likely to see the need to take tamoxifen for risk reduction or may not see the need for lifestyle changes. If a patient is at low risk for breast cancer, she may believe she needs prophylactic mastectomies for no good medical reason.

It is important for all of a patient's physicians to give them an idea of what is truly their risk.

Many women do not have a good sense of their true risk of breast cancer

In over 9,000 women, 40-45% either underestimated or overestimated their risk by at least 10%

Deanna J. Attai, MD | Authors

Articles

The Future of Surgery and Targeted Therapies

Breast Cancer Survivor Support and Education on Twitter

Overdiagnosis of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Risk Perception